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Luiz refusing to write off Arsenal’s top-four chances despite having 10-point gap to bridge
The experienced Brazilian defender believes that, on the back of a derby win over Tottenham, anything could still happen from here
David Luiz is refusing to give up on Arsenal’s bid to secure a top-four finish, with the Brazilian defender looking for a derby win over Tottenham to act as a springboard.
The Gunners edged out their north London neighbours 2-1 in their latest Premier League fixture, but remain 10th in the table.
A 10-point gap separates them from the Champions League qualification spots, but they still have 10 games to take in and believe anything is possible in a sprint towards the line.
What has been said?
Luiz told reporters of the Gunners’ top-four chances on the back of a morale-boosting victory at home to Spurs: “We have to try and continue in this way, try to improve.
“We are far (off), but we have a great team and we can continue in this way and try to win points every week.”
What does Arsenal’s fixture list look like?
The Gunners are entering a crucial stage of their 2020-21 endeavours.
The second leg of a Europa League last-16 encounter with Olympiacos that Mikel Arteta’s side lead 3-1 is next on the agenda, before then facing another London derby date with West Ham.
A visit from Liverpool will be taken in after the March international break, meaning that two fellow top-four hopefuls will be tackled in their next two outings.
Arsenal are also due to meet Everton and Chelsea before the end of the season, with there still all to play for at the business end of an enthralling campaign.
The bigger picture
Arteta’s side have suffered only one defeat in their last eight games in all competitions, with that solitary reversal coming against runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City.
Consistency is being found at just the right time, with Luiz admitting that a win over Spurs – who were reduced to 10 men after seeing rabona goalscorer Erik Lamela sent off - could prove vital come the final reckoning.
He added: “It is always a big game, a big derby with big history and everybody knows about this game.
“I think we did so, so well in the game – apart from the last 10 minutes where our team played with a lot of emotion and didn’t use our brains to control the game and use one more player on the pitch.
“But that is part of these kinds of games and I am so happy because the team has an identity, we try to control the possession and score all the time but I think we just have to be more efficient up front.
“It is never easy to play against them but I am so happy with the performance of the team, because we really understood the game before it started, how we had to beat them and I think we did that on the pitch.”
